As has been pointed out in the Preface by the Author
himself, the book attempts to present the history of the War-god in ancient
India. Skanda, who as Subrahmanya is still highly popular in South India, was a
favourite god of the ancient Indians and his worship was practised in almost
all the regions of India. He is still worshipped in some parts of Northern
India and festivals are held in hi, honour. Numerous images of this god have
been found from different places of India and some of them are preserved in the
leading museums of the country.

About the Author

The youngest son of the Late Sri Debinarayan
Chatterjee, the Author was born on the 1st day of January, 1940 in Lahore. He
received his early education in Lahore and Delhi. After graduating from Asutosh
College, Calcutta in 1957, he passed the M.A. Examination in Ancient Indian
History and Culture from Calcutta University in 1959. Afterwards he took also
his M.A. Degrees in English (both the Groups) and Bengali. In March, 1963 the
Author joined Jangipur College, Murshidabad as a lecturer in English. In
January, 1968 he was admitted to the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy of Calcutta
University. He has already contributed a number of papers in various historical
journals and recently his Bengali work entitled Rabindranath (Fimna K. L.
Mukhopadhyay, Calcutta) was published. It has already been hailed as one of the
finest and most original works on Tagore’s poetry ever written in Bengali.

Preface

In the following pages an attempt has been
made, for the first time, to tace the history of the worship of the War-god in
ancient India. The first chapter deals with the Karttikeya-worshlp as revealed
in the later Vedic literature. The god was not known to the Rgvedic hymnists,
there being no reference either to him or to his worship in the Rgveda. He is
mentioned several times in the Upanisads and, the Sutras, It has been shown
that, by the end of the period of the Sutra literature, Skanda-Kartrikeya
became a prominent member of the Brahmanical pantheon.

Worship of Skanda-Karttikeva as known to the
epic and Puranic poets is the subject of the second chapter. The present author
has had to ransack almost all the printed Puranas (including the Upa Puranas)
and also the two epics. By the time of the’ composition of these works the god
became a favourite deity and accounted for a good number of verses of almost an
these works.

The third chapter shows the development of the
Karttikeya cult in the historical period in Northern’ India. Non-Brahmanical
literature as well as the works of non- religious character have been consulted
j the present writer has also spared no pains to go through the published
inscriptions. The fourth chapter tells the story of the development of
Skanda-worship in South India. Ancient Tamil works as available in English
translations have been studied in this connection. Available South Indian
inscriptions have also been duly consulted and every effort has been made to
make the account as much authentic as possible.

The fifth chapter gives an exhaustive account
of the different places which were sacred to Karttikeya in ancient India. The
writer is indebted to none but the original sources, so far as this chapter is
concerned. Some of-the places, mentioned here, have not been referred to by any
previous writer.

Different names of the War god have been
discussed in the sixth chapter. The fact that ‘the god had so many names
indirectly testifies to his extensive and solid popularity with the ancient
Indians. ‘Aspects of Karttikeya’s character” is the subject of study in the
seventh chapter; that he was a vastly complex deity will be evident from this
section. Skanda was not only regarded as a god of war, but was also looked upon
as a god of learning and wisdom; the same god was also the patron deity of
thieves and burglars and his amorous nature too, has been alluded to.

The last chapter deals with the iconography of
Karttikeya; in this connection the Iconographic descriptions of this god as
found in the early literature, have been thoroughly discussed. A large number
of Karttikeya Images of both North and South India have been described in this
chapter. The writer’s Indebtedness to the previous scholars has been indicated
In the Foot-notes.

Both the Venkatesvara and Vangavasi editions of
the Puranas have been consulted. References are mostly from the more well-known
Venkatesvara edition; quotations, etc., from the Great Epic have been generally
taken from the Gita Press edition of that work published from Gorakhpur ;
nothing, however, has been referred to, which does not find a place in the
Critical edition published by the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute,
Poona.

The topic of the present thesis was suggested
to the author by D. C. Sircar, Carmichael Professor of Ancient Indian History
and Culture, Calcutta University In 1962. Since then, he has remained a
perennial source of inspiration of this author. The writer
is also deeply indebted to Sri D. Mukherjee. Reader in Ancient Indian History
and Culture, Calcutta University, his Supervisor, who has been his unfailing
guide throughout. The volume, now published, was submitted for the Degree of
Doctor of Philosophy, Calcutta University, in January, 1967. The author is
perfectly and painfully aware of the various shortcomings of his work. There
are also a few misprints for which he can only crave the indulgence of his
readers.

Lastly, the author desires to thank Sri A. C. Ghosh,
the Director-In-charge of the Ghosh Printing House Private Limited, for his
help in piloting the book through the press.

As has been pointed out in the Preface by the Author
himself, the book attempts to present the history of the War-god in ancient
India. Skanda, who as Subrahmanya is still highly popular in South India, was a
favourite god of the ancient Indians and his worship was practised in almost
all the regions of India. He is still worshipped in some parts of Northern
India and festivals are held in hi, honour. Numerous images of this god have
been found from different places of India and some of them are preserved in the
leading museums of the country.

About the Author

The youngest son of the Late Sri Debinarayan
Chatterjee, the Author was born on the 1st day of January, 1940 in Lahore. He
received his early education in Lahore and Delhi. After graduating from Asutosh
College, Calcutta in 1957, he passed the M.A. Examination in Ancient Indian
History and Culture from Calcutta University in 1959. Afterwards he took also
his M.A. Degrees in English (both the Groups) and Bengali. In March, 1963 the
Author joined Jangipur College, Murshidabad as a lecturer in English. In
January, 1968 he was admitted to the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy of Calcutta
University. He has already contributed a number of papers in various historical
journals and recently his Bengali work entitled Rabindranath (Fimna K. L.
Mukhopadhyay, Calcutta) was published. It has already been hailed as one of the
finest and most original works on Tagore’s poetry ever written in Bengali.

Preface

In the following pages an attempt has been
made, for the first time, to tace the history of the worship of the War-god in
ancient India. The first chapter deals with the Karttikeya-worshlp as revealed
in the later Vedic literature. The god was not known to the Rgvedic hymnists,
there being no reference either to him or to his worship in the Rgveda. He is
mentioned several times in the Upanisads and, the Sutras, It has been shown
that, by the end of the period of the Sutra literature, Skanda-Kartrikeya
became a prominent member of the Brahmanical pantheon.

Worship of Skanda-Karttikeva as known to the
epic and Puranic poets is the subject of the second chapter. The present author
has had to ransack almost all the printed Puranas (including the Upa Puranas)
and also the two epics. By the time of the’ composition of these works the god
became a favourite deity and accounted for a good number of verses of almost an
these works.

The third chapter shows the development of the
Karttikeya cult in the historical period in Northern’ India. Non-Brahmanical
literature as well as the works of non- religious character have been consulted
j the present writer has also spared no pains to go through the published
inscriptions. The fourth chapter tells the story of the development of
Skanda-worship in South India. Ancient Tamil works as available in English
translations have been studied in this connection. Available South Indian
inscriptions have also been duly consulted and every effort has been made to
make the account as much authentic as possible.

The fifth chapter gives an exhaustive account
of the different places which were sacred to Karttikeya in ancient India. The
writer is indebted to none but the original sources, so far as this chapter is
concerned. Some of-the places, mentioned here, have not been referred to by any
previous writer.

Different names of the War god have been
discussed in the sixth chapter. The fact that ‘the god had so many names
indirectly testifies to his extensive and solid popularity with the ancient
Indians. ‘Aspects of Karttikeya’s character” is the subject of study in the
seventh chapter; that he was a vastly complex deity will be evident from this
section. Skanda was not only regarded as a god of war, but was also looked upon
as a god of learning and wisdom; the same god was also the patron deity of
thieves and burglars and his amorous nature too, has been alluded to.

The last chapter deals with the iconography of
Karttikeya; in this connection the Iconographic descriptions of this god as
found in the early literature, have been thoroughly discussed. A large number
of Karttikeya Images of both North and South India have been described in this
chapter. The writer’s Indebtedness to the previous scholars has been indicated
In the Foot-notes.

Both the Venkatesvara and Vangavasi editions of
the Puranas have been consulted. References are mostly from the more well-known
Venkatesvara edition; quotations, etc., from the Great Epic have been generally
taken from the Gita Press edition of that work published from Gorakhpur ;
nothing, however, has been referred to, which does not find a place in the
Critical edition published by the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute,
Poona.

The topic of the present thesis was suggested
to the author by D. C. Sircar, Carmichael Professor of Ancient Indian History
and Culture, Calcutta University In 1962. Since then, he has remained a
perennial source of inspiration of this author. The writer
is also deeply indebted to Sri D. Mukherjee. Reader in Ancient Indian History
and Culture, Calcutta University, his Supervisor, who has been his unfailing
guide throughout. The volume, now published, was submitted for the Degree of
Doctor of Philosophy, Calcutta University, in January, 1967. The author is
perfectly and painfully aware of the various shortcomings of his work. There
are also a few misprints for which he can only crave the indulgence of his
readers.

Lastly, the author desires to thank Sri A. C. Ghosh,
the Director-In-charge of the Ghosh Printing House Private Limited, for his
help in piloting the book through the press.

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